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Soon after Mallory Aurichio was evicted by a 6-2 vote over Taylor Brown, Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves revealed that the remaining 10 houseguests would soon be competing in a Medieval Times-themed twist. Mallory now joins fans in wondering whether it will play out like last year’s White Locust twist that resulted in Rachel Reilly going home without an official vote.
“I didn’t like that twist last season,” the New Jersey-based rocket scientist tells Gold Derby. “I hope it’s not something like that, but if it is, I hope my friends are safe.”
Speaking of her “friends,” Mallory is rooting for either Melody Morris or Barrett Pfeiffer to win the game, but not Drew Campbell, who betrayed her by siding with reality “icons” Dee Valladares, Rick Devens, and Angela Murray. “It definitely upset me and I would’ve not done that to him,” she explains before adding, “I’m not going to hold it against him.”
Read on for our full exit interview with Mallory:
Gold Derby: After 52 days, you are back in the real world. Do you miss that house already?
Mallory Aurichio: I do. I miss my friends in there a lot, but I haven’t gotten my phone yet or seen my family and friends. I feel very in the middle right now. I miss the house so much, but I’m still not back in my real life. So, I’m hoping when I go back in the real life, I’ll feel a little better.
Dee and Devens are the two big reasons you’re sitting here today, despite all of you being in the Mosh Pit. What message do you have for those two?
Thanks for sending me home, I guess. I really didn’t want to go and it’s your fault. [Laughs.]
In the Diary Room, you were pretty vocal about your dislike of Dee. Do you feel that same way today?
No, not on a personal level. I do think this was a bad game move. It’s hard to not be very emotional about it when it’s your dream to be there, and you’re being betrayed, and it’s the reason that your dream is ending when it’s what you wanted your whole life, and they were just recruited from Survivor. So that’s a whole ‘nother story. But I don’t hate her on a personal level.
There were a lot of Big Brother alums at the 1,000th party last night, and I got the impression they do not want a Survivor to win their show. Do you feel the same way?
Yeah, I don’t really want them to win. I mean, they did hurt my game, so maybe I’m a little biased. But, yeah, I don’t want to see any of them win.
Dee did say one of the reasons she went after you is because you two never really talked strategy and you only said “good morning” to each other. Is that true, or was she exaggerating?
I mean, she never said that to me. We didn’t talk a ton of strategy, but we said more than “good morning” to each other.
It wasn’t just the Mosh Pit who turned on you. Drew from the F.A.P. voted for you. Looking back, do you hold it against him at all?
It definitely upset me and I would’ve not done that to him, but he seemed very sad when I left. He seemed like he didn’t want to do it, so I’m not going to hold it against him. I think it’s a bad game move, but it’s OK.
Yeah, he was tearing up when he voted for you. Barrett was also emotional. It was a very emotional episode last night! Did you feel that in the house?
Yeah, I could tell that people were sad about it.
If you could use that dining table time machine and go back in time and do any part of your game over again, what would you change?
I mean, I wish I won the HOH, but I don’t know what I would’ve necessarily ended up doing [with it]. I’m very happy with the friends that I made in there, and I think I showed truly who I am, so I’m proud of the game that I played.
Throwing competitions is often a strategy on Big Brother, and Barrett also threw that challenge, by the way. Were you aware of that?
Yeah.
I don’t know if you could beat yourself too much over that because people throw comps all the time.
That’s true.
When did you and the other contestants first learn that this was the 1,000th episode?
They didn’t tell us until that morning. I had a feeling. Someone had said it’s somewhere in August, in the 20s of August, and we had a feeling that this episode was going to be special, but they didn’t tell us until yesterday morning.
When you stepped outside the house, who’s the first BB legend that you saw in the crowd?
The first person that I saw was Morgan [Pope], she was right there in the front. And then I saw Paul [Abrahamian] there, too. But they had both hosted competitions, so I thought maybe it’s that. And then I just saw the entire audience was players. So cool.
Immediately after you left the game, Melody screamed bloody murder, and Angela goes, “Melody just screamed really loud.” Do you think Melody is in trouble in this game?
I hope not. I definitely was the person she trusted the most, but I tried to set her up good when I left. Barrett is very regretful of getting me in this position a little bit. I told him his redemption will be working with Melody and getting her far. I tried to tell Yash [Patel], Melody was saying she wants to form something with you. She knows you’re good with me. In case I leave, make sure you work with Melody. I hope she’s OK. I think she’s not in an amazing position, but I think she’s not in a position she can’t get herself out of.
The Medieval Times twist will have no HOH, no Veto, and no Block Buster. What do you make of this twist in the game?
So, I’m not completely sure what the twist is. I don’t know how I feel about it. If there’s no type of voting of people out, and if it’s, like, you lose a competition and you leave, I’m not really a fan of that. If it’s something different and there’s some type of voting, I think that could still be interesting.
I’m getting kind of a White Locust vibe with Rachel in the hamster wheel.
See, I didn’t like that twist last season. I hope it’s not something like that, but if it is, I hope my friends are safe.
What was your favorite moment in this game?
I liked going into the Time Capsule and I loved when I won the first Veto.
What do you make of people calling you Pipe Queen?
I love the nickname. It’s so funny, and it reminds me of the first Veto, which is awesome, so I like it.
Let’s talk about your punishment from the Time Capsule. What was your favorite part about the Adam and Eve thing?
I love that. I think it’s iconic. I love Season 16 and I know exactly what it’s from, so it was cool. And if I had to pick a punishment from any punishment I can remember from Big Brother, I would choose that one. And I like that I got to do it with Melody.
So, you would not have wanted to be the Lady of the Latrine or the Egg?
Definitely not the Egg, but yeah, I like the Adam and Eve costume more.
Who are you personally rooting for to win Season 28 and why?
I would love to see Melody or Barrett win because they’re my friends.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
